Stop and lock mechanism for trolley systems



Apr-ii 1 1924..

v S. F. ARMINGTON STOP AND LOCK MECHANISM FOR TROLLEY SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 21, 1922' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 1, 1924.

S. F. ARMINGTON STOP AND LOCK MECHANISM FOR TROLLEY SYSTEMS Filed g- 21, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,459,105 PATENT oFFieE.

STEWARTF. AR-MINGTON, OF WICKLIFFE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ARMINGTON EN- GINEERING COMPANY, OF EUCLID, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

STOP AND LOCK MECHANISM.FOR TROLLE Y SYSTEMS.

Application filed August 21, 1922. Serial No. 583,181.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEWART F. ARMING- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVickliife, in the county of Lake and State'of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stop and Look Mechanism for Trolley Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to overhead trolley systems and has particular reference to a stop and lock mechanism for use where a section of the trolley rail is movable into and out of alignment with respect to one or more other rail sections.

As an instance of a trolley system wherein my stop and lock mechanism would be particularly useful it will be considered that a traveling crane is fitted with a section of trolley track and-this crane is movable over a fixed path to bring said section of trolley track into alignment with any of a series of fixed trolley tracks thereby to permit a trolley to be transferred from one of the fixed tracks to the crane and thence to any of the other fixed tracks or returned to the original track.

With a system of this character, it is important to provide a stop mechanism for each of the fixed trolley tracks and also for each end of the movable trolley track carried by the crane, so that the trolleys cannot roll off the end of the track during such time that the tracks are out of alignment. It is also important that means be provided to temporarily lock the trolley sections in longitudinal alignment during the transfer of the trolley from a fixed track to the movable track.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a stop mechanism for the end of each section of track and to provide means for locking the movable section of track to a fixed section and simultaneously tripping said stop mechanisms to permit the trolley to travel freely from one section to the other.

Another object is to provide a stop and lockmechanism of the aforesaid character which may be clamped to the track sections without drilling or otherwise reducing the strength of said track sections.

Another object is to provide a stop and lock mechanism'of the aforesaid character which shall be so constructed that a pull on an element such as a chain or rod will serve to lock the abutting ends of two rail sections in alignment and simultaneously trip the stop mechanism on each rail sec-' tion so that the trolley can pass freely from one section to the other, and a pull on an scribed hereinafter and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown one form of my invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a trolley system showing a movable rail section in alignment with a stationary rail section and with the rails unlocked and the stop mechanism set; Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the rails locked in alignment and the stop mechanisms tripped so that the trolley may pass from one section to the other and Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive are sectional views taken respectively on the lines 33 to 77 inclusive of Fig. 1.

Describing the various parts by reference characters, 1 denotes a rail section which in the present instance is hung by brackets 2 from a traveling crane indicated generally at 3. This rail section is movable into and out of alignment with any of a series of other rail sections one of which is indicated at i, the latter also being supported by brackets 5 from any suitable support (not shown) which may be either stationary or movable. A trolley comprising a trolley wheel 6, supporting arm 7, and load supporting bar 8 is rotatably mounted on track 1. The load supporting bar 8 is extended forwardly to form a bumper 9. This trolley may be of the same general character as that disclosed in the co-pending"application of George A. Armington Serial No. 574,061, filed July 10, 1922, or it may be of any other suitable construction.

The rails 1 and at are each provided with a stop mechanism to prevent the trolley from rolling 01f the end of the rail on which it is journaled, when said rails are out of alignment. The stop mechanism for rail 1 comprises a supporting member 12 which assumes a vertical position on one side of rail 1 and extends across the base flange of said rail and is bent upon itself about the base flange of the rail as indicated at 13. A set screw 14 is threaded angularly through member 12 and engages the rail 1 to clamp said member securely thereto. A stop arm 16 is pivoted at 17 to member 12 and this arm extends downwardly and transversely. beneath the base flange of the rail so as to be normally in alignment with the trolley bumper 9. The opposite end of arm 16 extends horizontally and upwardly as indicated at 18 and the upper end of this ex tension is fitted with a pin 19, the purpose of which will be more fully referred to hereinafter. The normal position of the stop mechanism is shown in Fig. 1 and it will be noted that the arm 16 will fall by gravity and cause extension 18 to engage set screw 1 as a stop to limit the downward movement of the stop arm and dispose the same in the path of the trolley bumper.

The upwardly extending portion of member 12 has pivoted thereto a T lever 20, the horizontal arms whereof have operating elements 21, 2.1 attached thereto and the lower end of the vertical lever is slotted as indi cated at 23. A connecting or locking sleeve 25 abuts the under surface of the rail and has the side portions thereof bent about the base flange of the rail as indicated at 26.;

This sleeve is slidably mounted on the base flange of the rail and is adapted to move into engagement with the base flange of rail 4 thereby to prevent lateral movement of one rail with respect to the other A pin 27 extends laterally from one side of sleeve 25 and projects through the slot 23 formed in lever 20. A. link 29 is also pivoted at 30. adjacent one end of sleeve 25 and this linl: is slotted as indicated at 31 to receive pin 19 which projects from the extension 18 of the stop arm.

The stop mechanism for rail comprises a supporting member 35 which is clamped to the rail by a set screw 36 in a mannen similar to that described in connection with supporting member 12. A stop arm'38 is pivoted to member 35 as indicated at 37 and this arm projects downwardly and transversely beneath the base flange of rail 1. pin 10 projects from member 35 and is adapted to limit the downward movement of arm 38 so that said arm will normally, be in the path of the trolley bumper.

Nith the parts arranged as shown in Fig. 1 it will be seen that a trolley moving along rails 1 or 1 toward the abutting ends of said rails will contact with the stop arms 16 or 38 respectively. This will prevent the trolley from rolling off the end of the rail when the rails are not in alignment. When it is desired to transfer the trolley from one rail to the other the rails are first brought into alignment and the operator then pulls downward on element 21. This rocks T arm 20 about its pivot and slides sleeve 25 into engagement with the base flange of rail 4 and into contact with the rear portion of stop arm 38. This serves to rock said arm about its pivot 39 and raise the arm against the base flange of rail 1 to permit the trolley bumper to clear the same. Movement of sleeve 25 also causes link 29 to pull downwardly on pin 19 and extension 18 to raise stop arm 16 against the base flange of rail 1 and thus permit the trolley to pass freely from one rail to the other- After the trolley has been transferred, the operator may pull downwardly on element 21 to return the parts to their normal positions and set the stop mechanisms or the parts may be left in the locked, position so that the trolley may be returned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a trolley system of the character set forth, the combination with a pair of rail sections, one movable with respect to the other, of a stop mechanism operatively connected to each of said sections adjacent the abutting end thereof, and? means for simultaneously trippingeach of said stop mechanisms to permit a trolley to pass from one section to the other.

2. In a trolley system of the character set forth, the combination with a pair of rail sections one movable with respect to the other, of a stop mechanism operatively connected to one'of said sections adjacent an end thereof, means for locking said rail sections in alignment, and means for automatically tripping said stop mechanism upon locking said rails thereby to permit a trolley to pass from one section to the other.

3. Ina trolley system of the character set forth, the combination with a pair of" rail sections, one movable with respect to the other, of a stop mechanism operatively connected to each of said sections adjacent the abuttingends thereof, locking means carried by one of said sections'and adapted to engage the other of said sections to lock said rails in alignment, and means for automatically tripping said stop mechanism upon locking said rail sections in alignment thereby to permit a trolley to pass from one section tothe other.

4. In a trolley system of the character set forth, the combination with a pair of rail sections, one movable with respect to the other, of a stop mechanism operatively connected to one of said sections adjacent an end thereof, a sleeve slidably mounted on the base flange of one of said rail sections, means for moving said sleeve into engagement with the base flange of the other of said rail sections to loclr said sections in alignment, and a connection between said sleeve and said stop mechanism whereby movement of said sleeve into locking position will trip said stop mechanism.

5. In a trolley system of the character set forth, the combination with a pair of rail. sections, one movable with respect to the other, of a supporting member mountedon one of said sections adjacent an end thereof, an arm pivoted to said member and having a portion normally disposed in the path of a trolley, and means for deflecting said arm out of the path of the trolley thereby to permit said trolley to pass from one rail section to the other.

6. In a trolley system of the character set forth, the combination with a pair of rail sections, one movable with respect to the other, of a supporting member mounted on one of said rail sections adjacent an end thereof, an arm pivoted to said member and having a portion thereof normally disposed in the path of a trolley, a sleeve slidably mounted on the base flange of one of said sections, means for moving said sleeve into engagement with the base flange of the other of said sections, and means for simultaneously moving said arm out of the path of a trolley.

7 In a trolley system of the character set forth, the combination with a pair of rail sections, one movable with respect to the other, of a supporting member mounted on each of said sections adjacent the abutting ends thereof, an arm pivoted to each of said sections and having a portion normally disposed in the path of a trolley, a sleeve slidably mounted on the base flange of one-of said sections, a lever pivoted to one of said supporting members and operatively connected to said sleeve, said lever being adapted to move said sleeve into engagement with the base flange of the other of said rail sections upon movement of said lever in one direction and retract said sleeve upon movement of said lever in an opposite direction, and means for tripping said stop arms when said sleeve is moved to locking position.

8. In a trolley system of the character set forth, the combination with a pair of rail sections, one movable with respect to the other, of a supporting member mounted on each of said sections adjacent the abutting ends thereof, an arm pivoted to each of said sections and having a portion deflected downwardly and beneath the rail and normally disposed in the path of a trolley, a sleeve slidably mounted on the base flange of one of said sections, a lever pivoted to one of said supporting members and operatively connected to said sleeve, said lever being adapted to move said sleeve into engagement with the base flange of the other of said rail sections upon movement of said lever in one direction and retract said sleeve upon movement of said lever in an opposite direction, and a link connecting one of said arms and said sleeve thereby to trip said arm when said sleeve is moved to locking position, the other of said arms being tripped by direct contact of said sleeve therewith.

9. In a trolley system of the character set forth, the combination with a pair of rail sections, one movable with respect to the other, of a supporting member mounted on one of said rail sections adjacent an end thereof, an arm pivoted to said member and having a portion thereof normally disposed in the path of a trolley, a sleeve slidably mounted on the base flange of one of said sections, means for moving said sleeve into engagement with the base flange of the other vof aid sections, and a link connecting said sleeve with said arm whereby movement of said sleeve to locking position will trip said arm.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

STEWART F. ARMINGTON. 

